My Musings

It's mostly been more of the same since my last post...hiking, working out at the gym and playing kickball and volleyball. So instead of repeating how beautiful and amazing it is out here, I thought I'd share some thoughts and observations I've had along the way. If that sounds boring, you can skip the text and go straight to the pictures. ;-P (BTW, all my photos are in chronological order, corresponding to my posts. Most have headlines so you know what you are looking at or where but I found that in order to see them you have to keep the mouse active on the page or they disappear.)

Well, I am officially an Oregonian! It makes me very happy to say that. What does that mean to me? It means that I live on the West coast! It means that I've gone from enjoying hiking to being addicted to it and I can identify foxglove, bear grass, Indian paintbrush, owl thistle, columbine and lupine. I come from the land of huckleberries, salmon berries and marion berries, all of which grow wild and I've picked and eaten along my hikes. I can hike 10 miles without a problem and, despite all the rivers, streams, waterfalls and ever-present snow, there is very little humidity in the air. It means I live in a place where the men are more fit than the women, people talk more about what to do than what they do and nobody cares what kind of car you drive. They are more interested in where you've been, what you do for fun and sharing information about their favorite places. If they ask what you do for work it is of genuine interest and not because they are sizing you up or trying to see how you can benefit them professionally. And when I go to a store, the people are genuinely nice and friendly. It is an incredibly beautiful state of which the surface I've only begun to scratch. There is soooo much more to do and see and I am looking forward to continuing the exploration.

Clay is officially an adult: registered to vote and ready to start Portland Community College in a few weeks. It also means I can leave him on his own now. Of course I'm not ready for that, and probably won't be come November, but being complacent is just too easy. Besides, I don't want to let down all my steadfast supporters. The encouraging messages I continue to receive from you help to keep me focused. It would be easy to stay here and hang out with my new friends, playing games and enjoying all the beauty and splendor of the Pacific Northwest, but then I'd eventually have to get a real job so that too is a motivator. ;-)

Shortly after his birthday, Clay and I took a nice day trip to the coast which included a short train ride on a 1925 steam engine. We took a tour of the Tillamook factory and ate waaay too much cheese, ice cream and fudge. Then we went for a hike. Yes, out here there is forest just before you get to the ocean. There is beach too but it's so serene and undeveloped. You may find a quaint little town that features local artisans work but what you won't find is a boardwalk or endless tacky tchotchke and t-shirt shops. Apparently, however, saltwater taffy is inescapable. ;-) On our coastal hike we saw the largest Sitka Spruce tree known to exist in Oregon. Then we went in the other direction towards the water. I find it simply amazing having such verdant and dense forest so close to the ocean. The flora is so grand and lush! Because of all the rain, the fallen trees decompose much quicker than any other place I've been. But what amazes me most is how, from a short walk through the woods, one can see the ecosystem process at work. The different stages of this progression are so apparent: how the fungi, moss and insects aid in the decomposition of these giant timbers, breaking them down into what eventually looks like a mulch pile from whence new life-in the form of ferns and saplings- begin to grow out of them. To be able to see this process so clearly is fascinating to me and reminds me how truly delicate is the balance of nature.

In fact, I repeatedly find myself feeling humbled when I escape the city. I just returned from Washington's Olympic National Park where my dear friend Dan and I spent four days backpacking 20 miles through the High Divide and seven lakes. Let me just say, the Olympic mountain range is quite impressive! The mountains are huge, the trees stand over 100 feet tall with beauty that, until now, I'd only seen in photos or documentaries. Driving through the park we passed Crescent Lake--a large, beautiful, nearly undeveloped basin. However there was one house on the lake and, by human proportions, was probably fairly large. But sitting on that vast body of water at the base of towering mountains surrounded by high-reaching trees, it looked like a doll house. It makes one realize how very small we really are. Yet what irreparable devastation we wreak! We are more akin to ants than the demigods some people think they are.

My favorite part of backpacking, silly as it may sound, was collecting water from the nearby streams and falls for cooking and drinking--my version of 'living off the land'. (The freedom of swimming au-natural in the clear blue glacial lakes after a long, hot day of hiking was a close second.) Because it is a process-the trek, the filtering-we conserve the water, careful not to waste it or pollute it. We don't leave the tap running as we brush our teeth or put the water on full blast the entire time while washing dishes. One is more aware and conscientious in and about nature when one has to survive in it. The worst part of that whole experience was the biting flies and mosquitoes!! The incessant buzzing of the black flies as they swarmed in circles around my head for hours while I trudged for miles up the mountain in the beating hot sun with a 35 pound pack on my back was enough to make me go crazy. And the way I cussed at them one might have thought I was. Not to mention I looked like I had hives after they were done with me. But I got through it and firmly believe that if people spent more time hiking, scuba diving and communing with nature, they would have a greater appreciation for this amazing planet of ours and might not be so quick to destroy it for their own conveniences or short term egotistical gratification. Not to mention the health benefits one would gain.

To me though, the best part of living out west is how I've been challenged and pushed beyond what I believed my limits to be. My life in Maryland challenged me to the brink of my emotional limits. The trials I went through I'd only wish on my worst enemy ;-). But here I am being challenged physically. I survived a posted 12-14 mile hike that turned into a 17.5 mile hike that I was not prepared for either physically or via supplies. I dubbed it the blood, sweat and tears hike. But I made it through because the last four miles I was in survival mode. I knew there was an end and I had to get to it. Nobody was going to carry me out. It took me about two days to recover as I was dehydrated, sore and exhausted but I made it!! I've also been working out at the gym with someone who pushes me to do more than I ever would if I were doing it by myself (like benching 100 lbs!). But what is even more miraculous is that he got me to run. The big deal about that is that I am not a runner. I've spent my entire life avoiding activities that involve running more than 60 feet at a time. I was forced to run a mile in Jr. High School in order to pass P.E. And I've walked-run a mile on the tread mill at the gym a few times before in my life, but three of us went out to the Nike campus one morning and, without prior training for me, we ran 2.3 miles!!! To be completely truthful I did walk maybe about a cumulative half mile of it, but I did it! NEVER before in my life had I run more than a mile and now I actually want to run. I want to run a 5K! And because all of these barriers have been broken, I was able to take my first backpacking trip (mentioned above) and not just survive but I rocked it! Watch out Camino De Santiago! Shoot, Watch Out World! ;-)

As a reminder, I know some of you have recently traveled internationally and I'd really like to have your suggestions on the Must Go/Do/See tab. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll be checking in with you in a few months. Thanks again for reading and all your support!